Rev. David Holwick  ZA
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
August 15, 1993
                                                           Acts 6:1-7
                          
                            WILLING WAITERS


  I. How do you handle people-problems?
      A. Typical responses:
          1) Ignore it and hope it goes away.
          2) Find someone to blame.
          3) Try to solve it yourself, even if you have to neglect
                something else.

      B. The early church had its own people-problems.
          1) They handled it in a unique and challenging way.
          2) We need to learn from them.

 II. Widows and welfare.
      A. The early Christians took care of its own.                  6:1
          1) Helping out the poor was a practice of the Jews.
          2) Few had greater needs than widows.

      B. Tensions within the church.
          1) Ethnic divisions were apparent.
          2) Those from Greek-speaking Jewish backgrounds felt neglected
                by Hebrew-speaking believers.
          3) Special dilemma- those of Greek background were immigrants
                and had no family to look after them.

III. Addressing the problem.
      A. The apostles' fear.                                         6:2
          1) Petty problems would overwhelm their time.
          2) Preach and prayer would suffer.
          3) Problem goes all the way back to Moses.      Exodus 18:17-23

      B. By doing something good, they might neglect something better.
          1) Human needs and spiritual needs are both important,
                but leaders must key in on the spiritual.
          2) What then is to be done about the human needs?

      C. The apostles' decision.                                     6:3
          1) They faced the problem head-on.
          2) Apostles made a proposal.
              a) They took the initiative.
              b) However, the whole church made the ultimate decision. 6:5

 IV. Novel innovation.
      A. Instead of passing blame, they delegated responsibility.    6:3
          1) "Distribution" and "ministry" are from root for "deacon." 1,4
              a) They were not decision-makers (as in Baptist church)
                    but practical workers.
              b) However, they are not called deacons here.
              c) In NT, ministry is a function first, then they make
                    it into an office.
          2) Not paternalistic - Greeks allowed to deal with it themselves.
              a) Note that each has a Greek name.                    6:5
              b) Perhaps not wise by modern procedures, but effective if
                    there is a bedrock of trust.

      B. First requirement of deacons was spirituality.              6:3
          1) They were able to serve because they loved the Lord.
          2) Deacons "waited on tables" but were effective evangelists.
              a) Stephen, Philip.

  V. Applications to our day.
      A. Human needs are still with us.
          1) Homeless.
              a) Many turned out to help at Temple Shalom.
              b) Inefficient perhaps, but it worked.
              c) Best kind of ministry - minimal involvement by me.
          2) Widows.
              a) Seven out of 10 women will become widows.
                  1> Tibbets and loneliness:  no one can visit.
                  2> Wellers and yard leaves.
              b) Private ministry can be the most effective.
          3) Newsletter.
              a) Example of small tasks the church faces.
              b) Seems insignificant, but takes a lot of my time.
              c) One volunteered that day, and another later in week.
          4) Every little thing we do makes a difference.

          Fred Craddock catches the practical side of service.
             He told a group of ministers:

          To give my life for Christ appears glorious.
          To pour myself out for others... to pay the ultimate price
             of martyrdom -- I'll do it.
          I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory.
          We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000
             bill and laying it on the table.
          "Here's my life, Lord.  I'm giving it all."

          But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the
             bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters.
          We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents
             there.
          Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying,
             "Get lost".
          Go to a committee meeting.
             Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home.

          Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious.
          It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a
             time.
          It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder
             to live the Christian life little by little over the
                 long haul.
                                                                    #1835

      B. We need spiritual workers if ministry is to get done.
          1) Our limitations are not lack of opportunities, but lack
                of workers.
              a) We can't do everything we'd like - but we will accomplish
                    whatever our people decide to do.
              b) Sunday School needs committed teachers more than students.
                  1> Get the teachers, the students will follow.

          2) Put fire in their hearts, then give a person ministry.
              a) Churches often seek any warm body.  Even a cold one.
                  1> They end up with a cold, lifeless ministry.
              b) Perhaps this is reason we emphasize meetings over
                    personal contact.

              Pastor Ken Horton started with the typical approach.
                 First he saw a need, then he developed a program.
              On several occasions he had to figure out what to say to
                 to a volunteer when they asked him the question:
              "Would it disturb the service that much if the 2-year-olds
                 sat with their parents?  We couldn't find helpers."
              In an attempt to staff their nursery, they had resorted
                 to heavy-handed tactics.
              They assigned parents to nursery duty on a particular
                 Sunday, whether they volunteered or not.

              (Ledgewood Baptist did the same thing.)

              In effect it says, "If you're got kids in the nursery
                 then we expect you to carry your fair share."
              Then Rev. Horton wondered why so many helpers failed not
                 only to show up for duty but failed even to come to
                    church on their assigned days.
              He discovered draftees often go AWOL without completing
                 their tour of duty.

              Needs are always much easier to find than the people to
                 meet those needs.
              Horton found that he usually got trouble when he developed
                 a program before developing the people who would serve.
              So now he starts with the people and finds the ministries
                 they would like to do.

              In the nursery they shifted the focus from the need they
                 had (12 small kids) to helping people find
                    significance by serving others.
              Their nursery took on a whole new look.
                 Now they don't have to force parents to serve.
              They have enough others who enjoy being part of the "Helping
                 Hands" ministry:  grandmothers, teenagers, even young
                    couples who are not yet parents.
                                                                    #2528

              c) Ministries are starting in Ledgewood as people take charge.
                  1> Ministry to "hurting people" soon to begin.
                  2> Adventurers' Club is a result of parents seizing
                       initiative.

          3) Workers are only effective if they are close to Jesus.
              a) If you don't love Jesus, you can't share it with others.
              b) If you are not growing, you can't encourage others.

      C. We need to safeguard the ministry of prayer and preaching.
          1) Pastors get days filled up with details.
              a) We are paid to equip, not do every little task.
              b) Little things like picking up mail make a big difference.
          2) The work of practical ministry needs to be spread around.

             Bruce Larson, in his book "Wind and Fire," points out
                some interesting facts about sandhill cranes:
             These large birds, who fly great distances across
                continents, have three remarkable qualities.

             First, they rotate leadership.
                No one bird stays out in front all the time.
             Second, they choose leaders who can handle turbulence.
             And then, all during the time one bird is leading, the
                rest are honking their affirmation.

             That's not a bad model for the church.
             Certainly we need leaders who can handle turbulence and
                who are aware that leadership ought to be shared.
             But most of all, we need a church where we are all honking
                encouragement."                                     #1931

          3) By challenging people with gospel, we can change their
                root problems.
          4) Be concerned for the "weight" of pastor's gospel ministry,
                rather than his handling of details.

      D. The church needs to be innovative.
          1) The structure of ministry is not as important as its style.
              a) Offices like deacon and trustee are expendable, as long
                    as work gets done.
              b) The gospel never changes, but our approach to people must.

          2) Examples of innovation in our church.
              a) VBS, special worship services, are tops.
              b) Ministry for spiritual growth is adequate.
              c) Meeting human needs is improving.

 VI. Are you spiritually equipped to serve?
      A. Growing?  Challenged?

      B. If you see a need, meet it rather than passing the buck.


*****************************************************
"Three Women Out of Four:  How the church can meet the needs of its
    widows," by LaVonne Neff, Christianity Today, Nov 8, 1985, p. 30.
"Does Your Church Take Care of its Widows?" by Stanley Cornils,
    Christianity Today, July 15, 1983, p. 60.


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